The words fell like thunder.
Everyone in the tent froze.
Even the wind outside seemed to halt.
Adrian’s pupils constricted. "What... did you just say?"
"I said I want to be king," Nox repeated calmly, meeting Adrian’s gaze without a flicker of hesitation.
Ria’s mouth parted slightly, stunned. "Are you saying you want to take over the entire Vermilion Kingdom?"
"No." Nox leaned forward, voice cold and clear. "I want the western region to separate from the Vermilion Kingdom and stand as its own independent nation. One not ruled by a cowardly king who abandoned his people. One where decisions are made by those who actually fight on the frontlines."
Adrian’s jaw clenched. "That’s treason."
"It’s survival," Nathan cut in, surprising everyone. "Watch your tone, boy. My grandson has fought harder and shed more blood than any noble in the capital. If anyone has the right to lead, it’s him."
Celine nodded. "We’ve stood alone while your father turned tail and ran. And now, you come seeking our help? Then you’ll play by our rules."
"But this is rebellion!" the Queen finally spoke, voice rising. "You’re asking us to divide the kingdom!"
"It’s already divided," Nox said coldly. "The east fell. The north, the south—even the king fled. You have no capital. Just a small number of troops. No food. And the commoners? They look to us now. The west still stands because we stood for it."
Adrian’s hand tightened into a fist, veins popping out. He stared hard at Nox. "And what about the royal bloodline? What about the Vermilion legacy?"
"Legacy?" Nox scoffed. "A legacy built on greed, incompetence, and abandonment? If that’s the legacy, I’ll burn it myself."
Nathan chuckled lowly. "He’s got the Cromwell fire, I’ll give him that."
Adrian looked around the table. To his shock, no one was objecting.
Even Boris from the Adventurer Guild didn’t speak. His arms were crossed, expression unreadable.
He then looked at Bridget, the headmistress of the academy. Her expression was cold as well.
It was at that moment that Aina spoke up. "During the beast tide some years back, your father, the king of the Vermilion Kingdom, abandoned the west to fend for itself." She paused, then continued. "So many lives were lost just because of the king’s pettiness."
"The king had long abandoned the west, and we’ve even been governing ourselves since."
"You’re all supporting this?" Adrian asked.
"We’ve been preparing for this for a while," Nathan finally said. "And even if the demons and Flaming Rose hadn’t attacked, we could’ve staged a rebellion."
Adrian sat down slowly, eyes full of conflict. "And if I say no?"
"Then leave," Nox replied bluntly. "You’re welcome to stay, but don’t expect to lead anything."
Finally, Adrian let out a tired breath and leaned back in his chair. "I didn’t come here to fight you. I came to save what’s left. If that means supporting you... then so be it."
Ria’s eyes widened. "Brother—"
As for the Queen, she remained quiet. Because deep in her heart, she knew that the west deserved better. Her husband, King Aldrich, had a personal grudge with the west—hence he had turned a blind eye to several things that happened there.
"I’ll support him," Adrian said, in a determined voice. "But on one condition."
Everyone turned to him, wondering what he would propose.
’What condition?’ Nox leaned forward.
"I want to be the one who crowns you," Adrian said, voice calm. "If the west is to have a king... let it be a symbol of unity, not division."
Nox blinked, slightly surprised. "You’d accept dividing the kingdom?"
"I would, as long as you’ll agree to collaborate. Like she said, the west has been governing itself—let’s make it official then."
For the first time in a long while, Nox gave a small smile, and his impression of Prince Adrian increased tremendously.
He was the opposite of Ainsworth—proud, arrogant, and abusive with power.
Rather, he was a wise and noble king who hadn’t lost his humanity—even in the face of collapse.
"Then we have an agreement," he nodded. "You’ll be the one to crown me."
Adrian gave a slight nod. "After we drive these demons out of our home, the west will no longer belong to the Vermilion Kingdom. It will rise under a new banner."
"The banner of Cromwell," Nathan declared proudly, slamming his hand on the table. One could almost see the excitement in his eyes.
A chorus of affirming nods followed.
After the meeting concluded, a residential area was given to Prince Adrian. As for the army, they stayed outside the walls of the town, joining forces with the Awakened of the Cromwell Barony.
But these soldiers weren’t scared. In fact, they felt very safe because hovering above their heads wasn’t just the royal carriage—installed with magical cannons—but there were dragons as well, constantly circling the entire region.
Currently, Nox was standing inside the underground shelter the ants had been building for the past couple of months, and just like Nathan, he was shocked.
This place... was almost as huge as the town itself.
"You said you built this in just a few months? Really?"
"Yes," the Ant Queen nodded. "It seems Master had forgotten that we ants hardly get tired."
"I didn’t. It’s just that... I expected something of this calibre to take a year."
"With our numbers, we were able to take shifts so we never stopped working. We built while resting in turns. There was always someone digging, someone reinforcing, and someone expanding," the Ant Queen replied proudly.
Nox slowly walked through one of the large tunnels, his boots echoing off the reinforced walls of chitin and stone. The underground chamber was massive—lit by glowing crystals embedded in the ceiling, with entire districts already laid out below.
This wasn’t just a bunker.
It was an entire city hidden beneath their feet.
There were roads, and currently, the ants were guiding the survivors to their designated residences.
"Well done...this would really ease the burden on the town." He praised.
After speaking with the Ant Queen for some time, Nox left the underground shelter and went to Eve’s mansion.
He came to a stop before a special cell that had been built by a tunesmith. During his training with Eve, Nox had seen her cage rogue undead here.
It wasn’t the cleanest of places, but it was without a doubt the most fortified location in the entire barony.
Currently, within the cell, was a red-skinned girl.
"Let’s make this easy for both of us," he said. "I need you to tell me everything about the Order of Flaming Rose. Your time starts now!"